Wrapping it up

I learned a lot from the diabetes kids last week. Like that the blood sugar meters stop reading at 600 because that's an extremely high blood sugar, but when most people get diagnosed they are eight or nine hundred. (Normal is 80-120 ish) Different people react differently to lows and highs. Some common symptoms are headaches or nausea.

The kids were great, really fun to hang out with. I worked with a cabin of 8-10 year old boys who were great. They made me pet rocks and told me all about everything in their lives. So cute! I also got to hang out with my friend Chelsey's cabin of 16 year old girls. On Thursday they thought it would be really super fun to do our hair and make up for the dance so we looked girly, because let's face it, at camp...you look like you live at camp! I think they did a pretty good job:


I was sad to see the kids go on Friday because I knew that they had all had such an amazing week at camp and did not want to leave--and here I was after having had an amazing 9 weeks at camp, facing the reality of packing up and leaving later that same day. Looking back on my summer I can honestly say that camp was one of the best experiences of my life. From the people I worked with to the campers whose lives I got to be a part of for the briefest moment, I loved being a part of it. I feel like camp is my place. It fits my personality and encompasses all my favorite things: working with kids, being outside, and having a job that I love. I wouldn't trade one minute of my summer for the world. I owe a lot of people "thank you's" now that it's all said and done. I am hoping to return to camp next year as a counselor because I want to spend more time and build stronger bonds with the kids. I loved my girls in the health lodge but none of them will be back next year so I feel ready to branch out into other areas of camp.

Camp has been the missing piece to the puzzle of my life, with its sometimes rough edges and monotony in the middle. It makes me feel like I'm doing something amazing that benefits other people as much as it gives me the joy and energy to keep going. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect opportunity to really find passion in something and explore myself on a deeper level. A lot of good has come out of this summer and I can't wait to go back next June and do it all over again. I may continue to post throughout the year with updates or sparks of brilliance, so stay tuned.

~SJ

Makin' momma proud

Today was awesome! Due to some short staffing and personal preference, plans got changed. I didn't get to do kickball or soccer. But don't feel too bad for me, because I finally got to do...

The MUDPIT!

It was so gross and I loved it! My shoes kept getting stuck!

My friend Chelsey and I looking tough!She loves me even when I'm a mess...I think she's a keeper!

Part two of the mudpit is the rope swing! This must be why there's so much muck in the lake!

I'm so glad I finally got to do this! I'm looking forward to what tomorrow brings!

~SJ

The countdown continues

Diabetes Week 2 is off and running. We've got another great group of kids this week. The nursing assistants are working with a cabin of 8-10 year old boys and their so naughty and I just love them! (loving the naughty kids is a theme that is sure to continue into my teaching career!)

Yesterday I got to play water games with thirty 8-10 year olds. All 15 boys decided that it was very important to tackle me, jump on me, and soak me with buckets of water--and you'd better believe I loved every minute of it! This afternoon I get to play kickball and tonight: SOCCER! I'm pretty excited!

The plan for me is to go home on Friday. I'm starting to get nervous about saying goodbye to everyone. Some more than others, of course. I'll figure out how to deal with that in a few days.

Again, not much to report from camp. I got to do another clinic run last week with a kiddo who sprained their ankle pretty bad. So brave! So far this week everything is going along swimmingly, but I will keep you updated if anything exciting happens!

~SJ

Just another day in paradise

And we're back! Sarah here reporting from WLC where we are currently knee-deep in Diabetes Week 1. The week is off to a great start. We have called in the professionals to give us a hand, some nice folks from the American Diabetes Association who do most of the work with the kiddos. I'm learning a lot about diabetes from the campers. They have a great attitude about it and are pretty open to answering my questions. It's their way of life, what they know, and so they are willing to educate others to help us understand. I've been letting the kiddos in the cabin I'm working with test my blood sugar as often as they ask to, because they have to do it quite a bit.
Some of our kids have insulin pumps and some do injections. It's mostly a personal preference, just like some people who are deaf chose to get cochlear implants and some do not. One reason staff love the two diabetes weeks is because the campers stop for frequent snack breaks--and we get fed too. The food is really healthy this week, because good diet (and exercise) are factors that help control diabetes.

This morning I got to participate in an activity called Paint Your Counselor (PYC) which is exactly what it sounds like. Mix a little soap in with the paint, put on your swimsuit, and give the brushes to the kids--they'll do all the work! And what a nice job they did:

In the picture next to me is my friend Jacob, who is basically the reason I came to camp in the first place :-)

Right after PYC we jumped in the lake for some innertube fun, so I didn't get to keep my decorations on for too long. The campers really had a blast painting me and the three other staff members. The kids in the cabin I'm working with this week are eight and nine years old and I just love them--and they love me! They said I am their favorite Sarah! They are always begging to hold my hand or get a piggy back ride or carry my bag. They see us staff people signing and are eager to learn sign too.

After this week I have all of next week (Diabetes 2) and then I am going home for three short days before I head back to school for CA training. I'm going to be taking with me a lot of great experience and leaving behind a lot of fantastic people who I hope to stay in touch with until next summer when I come back again! Stay tuned for more updates in my last 10 days at WLC!

~SJ

The Dells the Dells the Dells the Dells!

We went mini golfing. I got in a fight with my putter. Oops.

Daddy can't believe his princess is 22! Don't worry, daddy, I'm still your baby.

Can't tell that we're related at all...

It was great to spend some time with my brothers.

We had a lot of f

1988 :-)

~SJ

Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally..

Please excuse my laziness and inattention to this blog...along with finding out I'm really not supposed to be posting pictures of the campers, not a whole lot of newsworthy things have been going on around camp. I've had a nice little vacation for most of this week: I joined my family on a trip to the Dells over my birthday; both events were fabulous! It was great to spend time with my family and just be away from camp. I even left my phone at camp so I would not be distracted. I am working on uploading pictures of our little vacation. Hopefully I will get around to this tomorrow during my health lodge time. Back to work at 7am!

As always, I hope all is well in your respective corners of the world!

~SJ

And the beat goes on

Suffice it to say it has been a busy couple of weeks! Had a nice reprieve this weekend when I finally made it Noah's Ark...that only took 22 years! Got a massive sunburn to prove it, too. Stick around and I hope to be able to satiate your appetites with a mores substantial update soon!

~SJ

Highlights

A few highlights from DHH Week 2:

Below is a picture of the cabin the nursing assistants worked with, the Trappers. Four 16/17 year old boys. My favorite quote of the week came from the guy on the left hand side in the striped shirt. He didn't understand why he needed someone to walk to the cabin with him (the kids can't go anywhere alone). Trying to be funny I said, "Hey, I don't have enough 16 and 17 year old guy friends. So we're gonna hang out! I put on my make up, I put on my party dress, now let's go to the dance!" The camper said, "Ugh, you girls. I don't understand why you think you need make up." :) It was so cute!

One day last week, my lunch looked like an ad for portion control. Hey, at least I'm eating healthy!

~SJ

Guh-ross!

Gross story of the week:

I left a smidgen of apple juice in my water bottle over the weekend. In my hot room. It fermented. And now my water bottle won't stop smelling like fermented apple juice. Ewwww.

~SJ

The silver lining today is...

I'm not a twenty-something with a God complex...I'm a Goddess with a twenty-something complex.
Example: I said to Holli that I was bitter about having to sit in the health lodge today and that I hoped it rained. And then I walked outside to go get something from my cabin, and it started to rain.

WINNER!

~SJ

All's well that ends well at the end of the week

So here I am, already two day in to DHH week 2 and I have failed to make an update in quite a few days! Don't worry, you can unclench--I am alive and well! Haha. After a great week with campers that ended, as usual, with the dance, I headed to Oshkosh to spend the 4th with some great friends. Back at camp on Sunday our second week of deaf/hard of hearing kiddos arrived, all 90 of them (it's a smaller population because of the 4th). There are a ton more sign only kiddos this week and as far as the age range goes we are a little top heavy. On Sunday night I got to hang out with eight or nine girls who are 16 and 17. They all know each other through camp and have been coming for years! For some of them, this is it, they will graduate at the end of the week. It struck me, as I was talking to these high school aged girls who, in spite of their hearing impairments are living the same life as the rest of us, that they look up to me--"By golly," I thought, "I'm a role model!" I sure hope that's not a scary though for anybody. It isn't for me, although it does make me much more conscious about what I do and say. Luckily for everybody, I'm pretty well-behaved! (Right, mom?)

Not much else to say about this week. I'm finally getting to do some new and exciting things like archery (which I am decidedly poor at) and using the Gator to take night and morning meds to the cabins on camp outs. I love this because I love to drive and I like driving through the woods because it's so peaceful--until I come tearing through, I guess. teehee. Last Thursday morning I saw a deer and three turkeys.

Below are some pictures from last week's dance and the Health Lesson Holli and I did.

The theme of the week was Olympics, so many of our campers were sporting jerseys to the dance.

This was one of my favorite kiddos. He was sign only and I got to go pontoon fishing with him. He kept signing to me that I was crazy! Maybe it's my inability to put us on fish?!

No, we're not technically supposed to have favorites...but this kiddo captured my heart. She would routinely ask that I sit by her during meals :)

Holli and I taught a Health Lesson on nutrition!

We talked about the food pyramid, then gave the kids blank ones and asked them to draw and cut out different foods they could think of and glue them on to their pyramids. Holli and I were very happy with how they turned out and they are now hanging in the Health Lodge.
~SJ

Sneak. Snook. Snuck.

I ended up with Sneaky the other day at lunch.

I had to draw from the Sneaky jar.And as everybody knows, Sneaky can either be something good, or something not so good.

Sneaky's sentence: all the nursing assistants had to be bandaged TOGETHER for dinner. It was interesting but a lot of fun! I wish I had pictures. The four of us all had to sit on one side of the table because that's the only way we fit on a bench. Unfortunately for 3 of us...the fourth was gassy...and we all felt it vibrating the bench! We laughed so hard. Then one of the girls tried to tell us that she didn't poop or fart, because she was a girl, to which the gassy one replied, "Honey, I've been in the bathroom after you...ya poop." And we were sent into fits of giggles again. It was the best dinner ever :)

Oh how I love camp =D

~SJ

And now for something completely different

DHH Week 1 is going very well! This week we have 133 deaf/hard of hearing kiddos aged 6-17. Most of them are oral, only a few communicate using only ASL. We have three interpreters helping us out this week, too, rotating between activities and in and out of the Health Lodge.

These kids are great. I love watching them sign, especially the little guys. Their fingers move a heck of a lot quicker than mine. But I'm learning quickly! My signs for the day yesterday were "forgot" and "also". My phrase for Sunday was, "Slowly, please; I'm learning."

The Lodge has been pretty slow, thus far, although I did give out a cup of Magic Water yesterday for a stomach ache. Last night I had to take a kiddo to the hospital (for a non emergent situation), which was exciting. The interpreter came along which was neat for him because he wants to do medical interpreting one day. I missed my first camp out opportunity, but there will be plenty of other opportunities.

Yesterday I did get to go in the water with the kids and play water polo. Our team lost but we still had a lot of fun. After swimming we got to build a raft out of branches we found in the forest. It was a good team building activity, but the raft sunk once four boys jumped on it.

So that's DHH week thus far. Stay tuned, because it's only Tuesday!

~SJ

CD1 Week Wrap up

Every Thursday at Lions Camp there is a dance. The kiddos look forward to it all week. I got to go for a little bit last week, and it was super fun. The kids had so much energy and spunk. They were all having a great time. I was watching all these tween and teen girls and thinking, "Was I ever that boy crazy?! My goodness!" (Answer: Yes, I was once that boy crazy) It was really cute seeing all the kiddos dressed up. Below are some pictures of the dance, myself, and the kiddos. Enjoy!
~SJ

Me, Potter, and the Traders Cabin

Maples/Traders inside the teepee

Sarah W, Me, and Holli

The friendly Lions Camp Lion

Skylar was a really popular with the kids

Back it up

So I promised I'd update about my fabulous camping weekend with two of my favorite people...so here it is!

My friends Katie and Brit, who have been very supportive of my whole camp endeavor, came up to visit me last weekend. As a camp employee, we are allowed to camp on one of the 4 campsites on weekends, and as Katie and Brit love to camp, this provided a great opportunity for some summer fun in a different setting than school, where we usually hang out.

We camped at Indian Point, the closest campsite to main camp. We spent the weekend fishing, relaxing, and eating Katie's delicious food! We also ventured into Stevens Point on Friday to dine at Noodles&Company (one of my favorite restaurants) and see Toy Story 3. I know that's not what camping is all about, but after being stranded at camp, I needed a little urban reprieve. On Saturday we tried going to Waupaca for something called Strawberry Fest but we got there too late. So instead we had ice cream at the local DQ then found cute little hotdog stand that had Chicago style hotdogs--which Katie and I love! Saturday night Rosholt had something called "Good Time in the Pines" with fair food, rides, and fireworks. We had a super awesome time!
It was a really amazing weekend and I was so happy that I got to show my friends where I'm spending my summer :) I'd love to update more, but I have to go get ready for a med pass! Hope all is well!

~SJ

Katie and her mad chef skills!

Hiking around the lake

Brit (left) Katie (right) under a fallen tree that uprooted

The crazy little chipmunks get so close!
(hint: look to the right of Brit's foot!)

Katie and I eating Chicago dogs at Mo's

Fireworks at Good Times in the Pines

Brit enjoying her funnel cake

Mo's

Brit, myself, and Katie :)

The good, the bad, the end of CD week 1

Well, the week is over. Most of the kids were sad to be leaving camp. A handful "graduated"--they can only come to the youth week until they are 17, and then they can only come to the adult week by invitation when they are 25.

This week was a huge learning experience for me. I'm beginning to be able to treat minor ailments without referencing the great almighty manual. We saw lots of things this week: rashes, bee stings, cuts, scrapes, and homesickness. I learned the healing properties of "anti-ache" and "magic water"--sometimes kids who are homesick come to the Lodge with headaches so we give them magic water...aka tap water that comes with a serious sounding set of instructions (3 sips and it will start to work within 5-10 minutes.) One kid said it helped him sleep really well!

The kids just warmed my heart. When I went on a nature hike with my cabin, all the kids just wanted to hold my hand. They thought it was really cool when I taught them some sign language. They all had stories to tell, about their lives, their families, and anything that came to mind.

My favorite story so far is about the kiddo I mentioned in the last post who reminded me very much of my brother Nicholas. One night during Trading Post time (where the kids can buy snacks and juice), Jacob says to his counselor, "Tyler, Tyler, we've got a BIG problem!" Tyler says, "What's wrong, buddy?"
Jacob [pointing to Phillip's lemonade]: "That has CALORIES, 150 calories! It's going to keep you up ALL NIGHT!"
Phillip, another counselor: "Jacob, I think you mean 'caffeine.' "
Jacob: "Oh...then keep drinking."

It was so cute! :)

Not everybody had a good week. We did have some fights and behavior issues and in some cases quite a bit of attitude. And as we all know, attitude is everything! One camper who decided it was a good idea to hit, pinch, and headbutt her counselor, Andrea (the camp director), Jamie (her assistant), and Ellyse (one of the unit directors), will not be allowed to come back next year. Maybe in two years, when she's had a chance to mature, she will be asked back. Her outbursts, which didn't occur until the end of the week, surprised me. She was generally bubbly and happy. Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, she got to meet Miley Cyrus this past April. Next month she will be having brain surgery to try and decrease the number of seizures she has. It's another one of those my heart goes out to the troublemaker stories--something I know I'll run into a lot as a teacher.

All in all it was a great week. Sunday brings our first week of deaf/hard of hearing kiddos. I'm nervous but excited to meet them and have another amazing week seeing all the things these kiddos can accomplish!

~SJ

Other Duties As Assigned

So it's been a few days, quite a few in fact, and I'm sure you missed me. I'll be sure to update you about my fun weekend camping out with two of my favorite people int he next entry. First let me tell you about my week!

We got our new kiddos on Sunday and with the kids came the energy! Camp has become a very active place this We have kids with a huge variety and range of disabilities, from Autism to Downs Syndrome. It's been a blast getting to know these kids, but boy do the keep you running! Med pass is crazy as compared to last week. It gets a little busy in here during those couple of times during the day, but nothing we can't handle!

My heart goes out to every one of these kids, even the troublemakers. One little guy really reminds me of my brother Nicholas and it makes me miss all my brothers. He's the cutest little thing, with glasses that make his eyes look really big and he has to look up at you when he talks to keep the frames on his face. A lot of our kids are adopted, have one or both parents who have passed away, or just have a rough life at home. I want to hug them all the time, but mostly we just settle for high fives. We've already had quite a few homesick kids along with some who just love us so much that they create an ailment just to hang out in the Health Lodge.

Just like in K4 this past semester, the moments that really make me smile are when the kiddos remember/call me by my name. Yesterday one of the little boys int he cabin I was working with said, "Sarah, can you sleep with us tonight?" It just tugged at my heartstrings! It is moments like this that get me through the day--because the last two days I've been go go going for 12-13 hours straight!

There's a lot more to working in the Health Lodge than just passing meds, for those of you who wonder what I do all day. Every night we have to clean the whole Lodge, nearly top to bottom. We sweep and mop the floor and all eight rooms and disinfect EVERYTHING--door handles, sinks, light switches, chairs. It takes quite a while. There's also a fair bit of paperwork and filing to do every week along with lice checks and quick physicals on Sundays during check in. We also do lots of laundry here int he Lodge, which is especially fun for me, because unlike the machines at school where you just have to specify temperature and load size, the washer/dryers here are real world machines...and let me tell you, the first tie i went to do my own laundry I just about cried. Why on earth do we need so many different types of rinse cycles?! But the good news is I learn quickly and ask a lot of questions, thus:


So that's my week so far. We've care for a few cuts and scrapes, some headaches and homesickness, and of course, some athlete's foot. All in a day's work! I'm doing well, getting most of my sleep, trying to eat healthy, and going for a run when I can. I hope all is well with you!

~SJ

More fun from around camp!

I sat on this bench...and it worked!Every Sunday we wear our Lions Camp Scrub tops. This was my first day of campers so I had to celebrate photographically!

SailboatsOut past the boats, our very own inflatable Shamu protects the lakeOn the bottom most part of Na-wak-waThere was a bird's nest with some baby birds in it inside one of the pontoons. How cute!

Gone fishin'

My new friend LeeAnn, one of the counselors. It's her first year, too :)

I orchestrate an intense pontoon rescue! (Or pretend to...)

Indian Point, one of the campsites on the camp groundsThe rope swing

A camper and counselor canoe around Lions Lake

Wow, it has been a busy couple of days. I've been having so much fun getting to know the campers. Meal times are my favorite. During announcements, everyone gets so excited and cheers for just about everything. Our camp director, Andrea, is very genuine and funny and has long-standing relationships with many of the campers. You can tell they like her a lot--and I do too!

Just now, outside the health lodge, one of our campers came up to take pictures of three other campers and their guide dogs. Then one of the nursing assistants came out and asked the camper if she wanted to be in the picture with the dogs--and she got so excited! She was very happy and threw her arms around one of the dogs' necks.

It's been very rainy all week so there hasn't been a lot of opportunity for outdoor fun. But today it's a little warmer and clearer, even though it's not sunny. We did some pontoon rides again this afternoon, and this morning I went fishing with some of the campers. We caught a few small bass, a bluegill, and a sunfish, but ended up throwing them all back. Tonight there are two campouts going on--one with staff, one without. I might swing by for a s'more, but I have to be up early tomorrow so I probably won't stay out.

The trading post is a popular hang out. They sell ice cream, candy, chips, and soda out of the concession window, and inside they have sweatshirts/t-shirts and camp gear. There are some lawn games that go on in front of the trading post and people gather and chat. One of our campers has taken it upon himself to be the DJ and he has had his CD player out every day/night.

Last night was my first time on night call. I was lucky; I didn't get woken up until about 5:40am for a non-emergency.

I can't believe the week is half over already. I'm looking forward to having some good friends come up this weekend. We're going to go camping on the grounds.

On Sunday we'll get our first week of kiddos--I can't wait! We will have kiddos with cognitive disabilities. It will be challenging (in a good way) and I'm looking forward to learning a lot!

Hope all is well with you and yours!

~SJ